With over a thousand lots on offer, our two day February Valentines auction proved to be an epic event, generating big sales and strong prices across the board.
Day one of the auction began with silver, and all eyes were drawn to a beautiful Guild of Handicraft Edwardian silver porringer believed to have been designed by Charles Robert Ashbee and hallmarked for London 1906. ‘The piece was exquisitely simple, with beautiful twin looped handles set with oval chrysoprase cabochons and a green glass inset liner which almost seemed to glow,’ enthuses silver and jewellery specialist Amelia Tomkinson. Selling for £1200 plus fees, the porringer is now on its way to an Australian buyer.
Jewellery was next under the hammer, with a 19th century three stone diamond gypsy ring attracting lots of attention. ‘With their rub over setting, gypsy rings are particularly easy to wear, and have become increasingly popular as a result,’ says Amelia. ‘People particularly love them as engagement rings, so it was great to be able to include this ring in our pre-Valentines sale – it was bought by a gentleman, and who knows, perhaps he got down on one knee with it on Valentines Day!’ The ring sold for £1900 plus fees.
A 1966 Omega Speedmaster Professional wristwatch was the star of the watches section of the auction. Famously worn by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, the Speedmaster was the first watch on the moon in 1969, and was issued to all NASA astronauts from 1965. With classic black dial, luminous hands and baton hour markers, the watch offered for sale was an early example of the ‘Professional’ model, first introduced in 1965 after Omega discovered that its watches were being issued to NASA’s Gemini astronauts. After a fierce bidding battle between international telephone bidders, the watch eventually sold for £6500 plus fees.
Day one of the auction drew to a close with a rare copy of Beatrix Potter’s ‘The Tale Of Peter Rabbit’ going under the hammer. ‘The book was a second printing of the first edition, privately printed for Beatrix Potter in 1902 following the success of the first printing in 1901 – only 200 copies were produced, making it a very sought after book,’ notes valuer Simon Grover. The book sold for £6000 plus fees to a private collector, showing the continuing strength of the rare book market. ‘The book was found by the vendor while clearing an attic,’ says Simon, ‘so it’s well worth having a rummage if you think you might have something unusual from your childhood tucked away!’
Day two of the auction got off to a strong start with two mid 19th century Meissen porcelain animal groups designed by designed by August Ringler, one featuring chickens, the other ducks. The chicken group sold for £1300 plus fees, but was exceeded by the duck group, which sold for £1900 plus fees. ‘Meissen is always popular, and August Ringler is a renowned designer,’ notes Simon, ‘but even so these results were the highest ever seen for these two models, which is great news for our delighted vendor!’
Next came the turn of Asian works of art, and a stunning carved celadon jade ‘Lu’ pendant. Believed to be 18th century or earlier, the pendant depicted a seated deer with two lotus branches in its mouth, raised on a lotus crown base. ‘Chinese jade carvings can be highly sought after and often yield impressive hammer prices, as was the case with this lovely example,’ says Associate Director Ashley Jones. ‘Reasons for their popularity can be attributed to their cultural significance and exceptional craftsmanship – jade symbolizes virtues like wisdom and protection, and in China the deer (Lu) represents wealth and longevity.’ With several telephone bidders and numerous internet bidders competing for the piece, it was no surprise when the price was driven up to an eventual total of £7000 plus fees. The pendant is now off to a new home in Canada.
The auction drew to a close with the furniture section, where a Victorian painted pine housekeepers cupboard took centre stage, selling for £1200 plus fees. ‘Pine is continuing its renaissance, with good early Victorian pieces attracting strong interest,’ notes furniture valuer Ian Woodward. ‘This piece sold particularly well because of its relatively compact size, making it a more practical option in a modern home.’
‘In the dark days of February it’s been a delight to explore all the beautiful lots offered in our Valentines auction,’ enthuses Managing Partner Christina Trevanion. ‘Our viewers and bidders were so complimentary about the lots on offer and the beautiful way they were displayed in the saleroom, and it’s fantastic to have achieved so many great results for our vendors.’
We will hold their next auction on 26th March. The deadline for entries is 7th March. To book a valuation appointment call 01948 800202.
